Potato salad and Sodapop
by Wacky Shiz
Summary: I'd seen pretty boys before, but he blew them out of the water, into outer space, and spiraling into the galaxies beyond. Set post novel, R&R please, grteatly appreciated
1. Feasting

**Gawd...this is my first Outsiders fanfic...hope you like it! I'm very skeptical of my own writing, so i would really appricieate any and all comments, good or bad, i don't care. Oh yeah, S.E. Hinton is the genius behind this story, not mua. I do however own Grace...**

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Grace's POV**

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I stared at him from across the room for hours, occasionally twisting my hair around my finger, or biting my lip to keep myself from screaming. I'd seen pretty boys before, but he blew them out of the water, into outer space, and spiraling into the galaxies beyond.

He had light brown hair that was greased back, and slowly fading into a kind of wheat blond; no doubt the affects of the rapidly approaching summer. His dark brown eyes were full of laughter and happiness, but also I noticed, deep and profound pain that he was doing well to hide.

His clothes, a red plaid button down shirt with the arms rolled up, and a faded pair of jeans told me that he didn't focus much on his looks; something I definitely would have done if I looked like him. He was leaning casually with his elbow on his friends shoulder and laughing at some girl's attempts to impress him. Man that smile was contagious. He looked like a movie star, or a Greek god, sent to earth to tease any and all women who looked at him.

My eyes were just making their way to his friend, (Who looked oddly familiar.) when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I withdrew my hungry gaze and turned to face my friend Laura Davies who was holding out a bottle of coke in a shaky hand.

She was always shaking about something, tonight I think it was the group of greasy girls flirting with her ex; that usually pissed her off.

"Thank you my dear." I said, grabbing the coke from her hand and taking a grateful swig. She was watching my eyes as they darted back to the cutie in the corner and she rested her head on my shoulder in an attempt to see him.

"Whatcha been doin?" She drawled slowly, stinking of cigarette smoke. I gagged and waved my hand in front of her mouth before answering with watery eyes,

"Feasting." My gaze darted back to him and I let out an exasperated sigh as yet another girl made a pass at him. Laura cocked an eyebrow, reminding me eerily of Two-Bit Mathews, the loud and obnoxious kid in my second period science class.

"Who are we feasting on tonight?" She asked and tilted her head like a puppy. I smirked and pointed.

"Tall dark and handsome in the corner next to the poker table." She let out a small giggle and shook her head.

"Which one?" I looked around; I guess there were a lot of handsome guys out that night, the perfect place to be single.

"The tallest one with the red shirt." I watched as she searched for him, and once she found him; laughed when here eyes bugged out.

"He's a greaser!" She said excitedly. I looked her up and down, from her bleached blonde and slightly trashy hair, jeans jacket and tight black tee shirt to her ripped up jeans and chuck tailors and snorted.

"So are you." Her eyes rolled back into her head and she let out a defeated sigh.

"Yeah, we both are, but don't you usually go for a more…soccy partner for the evening?"

"For him," I said and turned my eyes back to his gorgeous smile. "I think I can make an exception." Laura nodded in agreement and rested her hand on her hip.

"He has got to be the prettiest thing on two legs." She giggled and patted my shoulder. "Good choice."

"Mmmm." I mumbled, too busy with drooling to put any thought into a real answer. I bit my lip as he laughed again, flashing those gorgeous teeth of his. My eyes made their way down to his perfectly formed lower half, and when I looked back at his smile, my stomach filled with butterflies. He was looking right at me.

"He saw me!" I gasped frantically and turned to Laura who was still admiring him. She laughed.

"And…" I glanced quickly back at him to see if maybe he hadn't been looking at me but something prettier behind me, but I realized with terror that he was heading straight towards us with his friend close in toe, his friend really did look familiar.

"Oh my god he's coming over." I said close to hysterics. "Get outta here." She opened her mouth and, trying to act offended said,

"There's two of em!"

"Yeah and they're both for me. Beat it." I ordered and jolted my head to the side for emphasis. She gave a resigned sigh.

"Fine, I'll just go find something to eat and make myself even fatter." She called over her shoulder as she rounded a corner.

"You're not fat!" I screamed after her, and turned to face the two boys that were now standing in front of me.

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**Okay, there it was! I'm hoping you all realized that the cutie in the corner is Soda, if you didn't, please don't take offense but you are really not that smart.**

**xoxokarliexoxo**


	2. Tennis Shoes and The Whole Shabang

**Sorry it took so long...my sisters friend was at VA tech when the shooting happened, he wasn't shot, but we didn't know...and yeah.**

**I want to thank all my reviewers, they really made my day. I would really like more though ahem... for those of you that already have, thank you!

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**Soda's POV**

Darry once told me that he could figure out all he wanted to know about a girl by lookin' at her shoes. He said that if she was wearin high heeled sandals, she was probably lookin for more than a kiss good night, if she was wearing ballet slippers, she was probably taken, or not interested.

If she was wearing boots,he said that she was probably a cowgirl, or somebody too rich to even look your way; he warned me to stay away from them.

Tennis shoes Darry said were his favorite type of girl. They were the ones that could take anything you threw at them, and that they were probably neither rich nor taken.

I was ten years old at the time, and told him he was off his rocker. He had whacked me across the head and said that one day I would understand; and now I do. I used Darry's shoe method at every party I'd ever been too…that's how I met Sandy. She always wore tennis shoes.

I remember thinkin that night at the party as me and Stevie strolled over to that girl in the corner, that Pony would need to learn about it soon; he's not into girls yet.

The girl was wearing tennis shoes; they were dirty and had a hole in the toe, so I could tell she was definitely not a soc, but our kind; greaser. Her red finger-nailed hands were holding a coke bottle loosely as she watched us slowly approaching; I was glad she liked coke, it's my favorite.

"So," Steve said cockily when we finally reached her, one of her friends had just run off screaming something about making herself fat. "I couldn't help but notice you've been watching my friend here for a while." She smiled and my heart almost stopped beating. She was gorgeous; with long natural blonde hair, and sparkling blue eyes, she reminded me painfully of Sandy.

"Is there a problem officer?" She replied smoothly and took a quick sip of her coke. It took Steve a minute to come up with a good enough response to say anything.

"No, but the way you were eyein him, I was thinkin you two should get to know each other." He'd been trying to find me a girl since Sandy had left me the year before; and to tell you the truth it was getting kind of annoying, until I saw her.

She smirked and flashed me another smile before replying without even breaking stride,

"And what are you his pimp?" I could feel Stevie's ears turning red without even looking at him.

"I…Damn girl you have quite the lip."

"I aint gonna lie and tell you I don't." Man she could come up with comebacks fast! Steve just smiled and shrugged.

"Somehow that don't surprise me."

"It doesn't surprise me that that doesn't surprise you." It took me a second to figure out what she meant, but when I did I laughed and flashed her one of my famous smiles.

This, I decided, was going to be a very interesting night.

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Well I'm not too proud of this chapter, but i guess it works, i dont know if this story is going to continue for much longer, i've kinda lost my inspiration...but who knows! R&R please, it would really make my day.**


	3. Gracie's In Love With a Soft Drink

I am so so soooooo sorry this took so long to put up! For one thing, I wasn't even going to continue it until last night when I suddenly missed it, and for another thing, I have been so busy...I just didn't have the time to put it on!

Aw well, here it is, and I hope it isn't too big of a disapointment. It shouldn't be, since it's about two times as big as the last chapter, but it might be. Hang on, there are alot of details in this one.

DISCLAIMER: Don't own their beautifulness...seriously wish I did. R&R please, will be rewarded with update!

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By the time our conversation got anywhere constructive, the party was in full swing and Elvis was being played so loud in the background I could feel every beat pounding underneath my feet. The doll's friend –who I'd finally recognized as Steve Randle- was throwing questions at me faster than I could answer them. I was getting kind of annoyed that the only person I wanted to talk to was his friend, but he hadn't said anything the whole time; he'd laugh occasionally when I made some smart assed remark to Steve, but that was about it. I hadn't even learned his name and we'd almost been talking for almost half an hour!

"Well," Steve sighed and patted both me and the doll on the shoulder, "I think I saw me something pretty headin' towards the kitchen, so I'll leave you two at it." It took all I had not to jump for joy at the prospect of him leaving, so I settled for a smug little smile instead.

When the Randle kid finally walked away, I turned to the blonde who was smiling after his friend with an eyebrow raised.

"I thought he'd never leave." His voice had a rugged kind of southern twang that about made me start drooling on the spot. I gave my best girly giggle and stuck my hand out for him to shake.

"Grace." I announced and he nodded his approval.

"Sodapop." I raised an eyebrow. I had stopped shaking his hand, but noticed happily that he was still holding on.

"Really?" I didn't want to sound rude, but that was one hell of an original name. He smiled like he'd gotten this comment before and to my dismay, let go of my hand.

"Yeah, my dad was a real original person." I shot him a toothy grin.

"I like it."

Sodapop stopped mid breath, with his mouth open and tilted his head towards the living room where the music was being played.

"How's about a dance little lady?" He asked, and without waiting for an answer pulled me by the hand towards the swinging sounds of Elvis.

Sodapop started dancing like a maniac around me, shaking his hips and laughing while I just kind of stood there, ears and face turning bright red at his antics. Half the people around us were backing away and laughing just like me. He looked so silly, like a little kid. As the song continued, I relaxed a little bit and even let him twirl me around a few times.

We got through three songs, and by the end of the third, we were both laughing so hard we looked like a couple of cherries. Normally the guys I danced with were all touchy feely, and no matter how many times I said no, they always insisted on dancing real close and getting a little too personal, but not him. He wasn't dancing with me because it was the closest thing to sex he was going to get, he was dancing with me for fun, and I've gotta say, it was a refreshing change. I'd never had so much fun at a party, too bad my best friend is the biggest drama queen on the face of the planet. Though if she hadn't interrupted my in depth conversation with Sodapop at that point, I could've messed things up by moving too fast.

"Tom!" I heard the frantic voice of Laura scream over the volume of the music, and knew automatically what she was yelling about. Turns out those girls flirting with her ex finally got to her.

"You aint even my girl anymore Laura! What do you care!?" I rolled my eyes and stood from my place on the couch. Soda raised a questioning eyebrow and I shrugged, heading towards the kitchen and the apparent argument.

"It's disgusting, they're all over you!" Laura's face was red with rage, and her ex boyfriend Tom Landry was sitting on a bar stool, looking smug as ever.

"Well at least I have options, when was the last time you had sex Laura?" He stood slowly and stretched up to his full six foot height. Laura, being only five feet even, looked like a dwarf, and her shrinking down didn't help her stature any. Her eyes started to water, and she sprinted out the door, leaving a smug Tom, and a very confused Steve standing in the kitchen.

"What the hell was that?" Sodapop's voice behind me made me jump; I hadn't realized he'd been standing there. I shrugged again and jutted a thumb over my shoulder.

"I don't know, but she's my ride." Without another word I turned to walk out the door, just waiting for him to stop me.

"I work at the DX." He stated simply, but grabbed my hand and sent goose bumps up my spine. "Come and see me." I turned to smile at him and pulled my hand gently from his.

"Maybe." I stated flatly and jogged out the door to catch up with Laura. "Hey kid wait up!" I screamed after her and leapt into the front seat of her old Plymouth, just as she was pulling away.

After a silent ten minutes in the car, Laura gave a resigned sigh and wiped her red puffy eyes on her sleeve. "So how'd things go with Mr. Right?" She asked, clearly wanting to keep the conversation off of her little show back at the party.

I looked out the window at the passing trees, completely ignoring the question. I was too busy focusing on the fuzzy images of Sodapop in my head to answer her. His smile, his voice, they were all playing through my head repeatedly and they wouldn't go away, not that I was complaining or anything.

"Gracie?" She asked and I shook my head.

"Huh?"

"How'd it go with the pretty guy?" Don't ask me why it took me a minute to figure out who she meant.

"Oh, Sodapop?" Laura raised an eyebrow.

"No thanks, I'm not thirsty. Are you going to answer my question?" I laughed at that, it never occurred to me how that sounded.

"No, I mean his name is Sodapop." She raised an eyebrow at me and shook her head.

"Are you sure all you had in that bottle was Pepsi?"

_Maybe I could call him Pepsi…_ I thought and shook myself of the thought. He was just a guy at a party. That was it. Nothing more. I wouldn't even go see him at the DX.

_Bull Shit._ I told myself, and knew I was right. I would go see him, and if I had anything to do with it, I would be calling him cute little pet names by the end of the month.

"It went…great." I sighed dreamily and opened the door to let myself out of the car. We had arrived at our new house.

My sister Kim and I had been living with the Davies family for five months since our parents left on 'vacation' and never came back. We had recently moved in from Arkansas, so when we walked in the front door and flicked on the light, it was no surprise to see mountains of cardboard boxes and bubble rap covering our living room and kitchen. Tissue paper and paper plates were strewn out on the kitchen table, while various articles of clothing littered the stairway.

"Good morning girls." Shelly, Laura's mom, laughed from her place on the couch where she was trying unsuccessfully to un-wrap a picture frame. It looked like Laura had been having too much fun with the tape when she wrapped that particular item.

"Sorry mom, it was a fun party." Laura explained and tried plopping down next to her mother, but was pushed off by a pile of stubborn bubble wrap. That was one thing I loved about Shelly, she wasn't too strict with us as long as we had a good excuse. Being only thirty-one, she still remembered what it was like to be a teenager in this kind of neighborhood.

"Well at least you had fun, meet any cute boys?" The question was directed at me, since Shelly didn't know that Laura and Tom had broken up yet. Laura smiled devilishly.

"Gracie's in love with a soft drink." Her mom raised an eyebrow and set down the picture frame.

"Well, whatever blows your dress up girlie."


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